Shutdown

Adam Tooze’s Shutdown is a sweeping analysis of the global political and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tooze synthesises enormous amounts of information with remarkable clarity, examining how governments, markets, and institutions responded under pressure. He frames the pandemic as a turning point, revealing how fragile and interconnected modern systems have become. Tooze’s perspective is global, drawing connections across continents and sectors to show the cascading effects of crisis. His writing is authoritative but accessible, offering readers both analysis and narrative momentum. It is indispensable for understanding the early 2020s.